UN FS-3 Salary — Cotonou, Benin

What an internationally recruited Field Service (FS-3) earns at the UN in Cotonou — the global net base salary plus this duty station’s 33% post adjustment and the hardship, danger and non-family allowances on top.

Hardship Category B Post Adjustment % 33.2 Cost of living 34 (US=100) HDI Rank #173

FS-3 salary — Cotonou, at a glance

Internationally recruited Field Service (FS) — the UN’s worldwide FS scale plus this station’s post adjustment. Recruited locally? See the GS/NO local scale.

USD 64,908
Net rem · step 1
USD 73,640
Net rem · mid
USD 82,366
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +33% 13 steps Hardship B January 2026 Checked Nov 7, 2026

Net remuneration = net base + 33% post adjustment (net base USD 48,730–USD 61,836), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

FS-3 salary scale — by step

Worldwide Field Service net base (UN OneHR), effective January 2026, with the 33% post adjustment for Cotonou. Per year, USD.

StepNet basePost adj (+33%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 48,730USD 16,178USD 64,908USD 54,650
Step 2USD 49,829USD 16,543USD 66,372USD 55,872
Step 3USD 50,918USD 16,905USD 67,823USD 57,082
Step 4USD 52,007USD 17,266USD 69,273USD 58,292
Step 5USD 53,097USD 17,628USD 70,725USD 59,503
Step 6USD 54,194USD 17,992USD 72,186USD 60,722
Step 7USD 55,285USD 18,355USD 73,640USD 61,935
Step 8USD 56,376USD 18,717USD 75,093USD 63,147
Step 9USD 57,471USD 19,080USD 76,551USD 64,364
Step 10USD 58,555USD 19,440USD 77,995USD 65,569
Step 11USD 59,646USD 19,802USD 79,448USD 66,781
Step 12USD 60,743USD 20,167USD 80,910USD 68,000
Step 13USD 61,836USD 20,530USD 82,366USD 69,213

Est. take-home deducts a 7.9% UNJSPF pension and an indicative 2.5% medical premium. Indicative — the estimator below computes single/dependency rates and your exact deductions.

On top of base salary — Cotonou

Allowances an internationally recruited FS-3 may receive at this duty station. Annual USD unless noted.

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+33%
Hardship allowanceICSC category BUSD 6,110
Mobility incentiveFrom the 2nd assignment onwardUSD 6,900 +
Danger paySecurity-risk designationNot a danger-pay station
Non-family allowanceWhen dependants may not accompany staffFamily duty station
Spouse / single-parent allowanceDependent spouse, or first child if a single parent+6% of net remuneration
Child allowancePer dependent child (flat rate)USD 2,929 / child
See these allowances explained in full — Cotonou, plus cost of living & relocation
Your Take-Home Pay — Benin

An estimate for a UN post at Cotonou, Benin — for internationally recruited staff (Professional P / D, in US dollars) or locally recruited staff (General Service / National Officer, local scale).

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Field Service net base: UN OneHR scale effective January 2026. The pension line uses pensionable remuneration derived from the ICSC Professional scale (FS figures are no longer published).
Net salary (local scale)
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* Health insurance is indicative only — real premiums vary by organization, plan (medical and dental are billed separately) and coverage option. The ~2.5% shown is a placeholder, not a quote.

Indicative estimate — excludes rental subsidy, education grant and settling-in. Professional (P/D) and Field Service (FS) pay is in US dollars; GS/NO on the local scale in local currency. For information only — not official advice.

Other Professional grades — Cotonou

Same duty station, different grade — see the full scale for each.

FS-1 FS-2 FS-4 FS-5 FS-6 FS-7

UN jobs — Cotonou (5 open)

Enabel Assistant.te de directionEnabel · Unspecified Enabel Assistant.te de directionEnabel · Unspecified UNICEF Programme Assistant (G-5), FT, #058666, Cotonou, Benin - WCARUNICEF · G-5 World Bank Investment Officer, InfrastructureWorld Bank · GG Afreximbank Relationship Manager - ARISE Implant (China Corridor)Afreximbank · Unspecified View all UN jobs — Cotonou

Frequently asked

What is the FS-3 salary at the UN in Cotonou?

A Field Service FS-3 in Cotonou, Benin has a net base salary of about USD 48,730 (step 1) to USD 61,836 (top step). With the 33% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 64,811 to USD 82,242 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a FS-3 in Cotonou?

Post adjustment equalises purchasing power across duty stations. In Cotonou it is about 33% of net base salary, added on top — so the same FS-3 net base is worth more or less depending on the station’s cost of living.

What is the cost of living in Cotonou, Benin?

Everyday prices in Benin are roughly 34% of United States levels (World Bank price level index, US = 100). Post adjustment is designed to offset this. For internationally recruited (P/D) staff, our Real UN Purchasing Power estimate for Cotonou is 113/100 (New York = 100) — net pay (base + post adjustment) stretches about 13% further here than in New York.

See the Real UN Purchasing Power — Cotonou
These are UN common-system pay figures. The World Bank, IMF and NGOs and other non-UN employers posting here set their own pay — a role here does not guarantee these figures.

Salary & Benefits Tools

Pay Stack calculatorThe full take-home tool — any duty station, every allowance, built layer by layer UN salary scales by grade Post adjustment explained UN contracts & grade levels
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